I hope you had a joyful holiday season with friends and family. It is always a special time, and the new year brings with it the opportunity for a fresh start.
All eleven members of the Erie County Legislature were sworn in last week at our first meeting of 2026. I want to thank you for your support. It is an honor to serve you and there are certainly many important issues we will be tackling this year. I am concerned with the spending practices of the Administration of Mark Poloncarz. He has grown the budget exponentially since taking office. His Administration would be wise to work to reduce the size and cost of government, not continually add jobs and programs that Erie County residents must then pay for. We are a community that is not growing. To place the burden of increasing government expenses on those still here is simply unfair.
The Legislature is considering the Customer Biometric Privacy Act. This proposed law comes after Wegmans announced it has started collecting biometric information in some of its New York City stores. That collection could include retina scans, as well as facial and vocal recognition. The law would require businesses to post signs where biometric data collection is happening. The reality is data collection is happening everywhere. Most businesses have security cameras. Many cities mount cameras at different intersections, and many homes now have doorbells that record your actions. The purpose of this law would be to notify customers so that they are aware their actions are being recorded.
As a longtime hockey fan, it is fun to see the Buffalo Sabres playing well once again. I am hopeful this marks the start of a turnaround for the organization.
Buffalo Bills fans said an emotional goodbye to the stadium that has been home to the team for 52 years. There are certainly plenty of great memories. Meanwhile, our skilled labor workforce has done a tremendous job building the new stadium, which will be ready for the 2026 season. I wish the team luck as they continue in the playoffs.
Last week we recognized Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. I am thankful for the men and women who risk their lives each day to protect our communities.
Just a reminder that our parks remain open through the winter. Go to the county website at Erie.Gov, click on “Our Services,” then scroll down to Parks, Recreation and Forestry. There you will find schedules of events happening at Erie County parks.
If you have a county related issue, please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office at 716-858-8676 or by email at Christopher.Greene@erie.gov You can also stay up to date on county issues and those impacting the 6th legislative district by going to my Facebook at Legislator Chris Greene. As always, thank you for the opportunity to serve you.
